


When in Doubt, Body Heat is an Excellent Excuse

by zarabithia



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Huddling For Warmth, M/M, References to PTSD, You Can Pry the Present Tense From My Cold Dead Hands, implied past Sam Wilson/Riley, implied past Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes, obvious spoilers for the Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-17
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-01-19 16:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1476892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their trip to find Bucky brings them to Ohio during what feels like a Frost Giant invasion, but may just be Ohio's shitty weather.  Sam is never going to curse the cold again, and if Loki wants to bring an entire army of Frost Giants to invade Earth, Sam is willing to fight them if it means he gets to experience cuddling with Steve Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When in Doubt, Body Heat is an Excellent Excuse

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "memory" for a tumblr meme.

Two days ago, Sam had been enjoying the shortest shorts he could get away with, without looking like he should be on a European beach. Today, he’s wearing two shirts and a pair of thermal underwear underneath his pants. The most ridiculous thing is that they haven’t even changed states. The Midwest is just that fucked up, and beyond all hope.

There’s a reason Sam’s never wanted to live here, and apparently, it’s not all due to the fact that it is a conservative wonderland.

Sam’s freezing in this 30 degree weather, and it’s made worse by the fact that the heat in their shitty hotel is broken. Although the super soldier he’s with technically isn’t in any danger, Sam’s noticed a very definite aversion to cold on Steve’s behalf. He supposes it stirs up all sorts of memories that aren’t very pleasant.

Not for the first time, Sam marvels at the fact that Steve Rogers is as well-adjusted as he is. A quarter of what he went through would have broken most people; Sam knows it would have broken him.

"I don’t suppose your buddy Thor can fix this cruddy weather," Sam says to break the silence between them, and to make sure that his lips haven’t frozen shut. "I mean, god of thunder, storms, blah blah, temperature’s got to be in there somewhere, right?"

"He’s not really a god. He’s more of an alien," Steve says, but he smiles a little tightly. He’s currently wrapped in three blankets, and Sam fights off the urge to offer his three to the cause of keeping Steve Rogers warm.

The dangerous thing about Steve is that his sense of self-sacrifice is catching, like a bad cold, or lice.

"He’s an alien who can fuck with the weather, right?" Sam asks. "Don’t you have some sort of Scooby phone you can contact him through?"

"Not while he’s in Asgard," Steve answers. "Where it’s probably a lot warmer… unless the Frost Giant got out and is causing havoc again."

"I think the Frost Giant got out and came to Ohio," Sam complains.

At that, Steve laughs and offers sheepishly, “Do you want one of my blankets? I don’t technically need these.”

"You need them, and the technicality about why doesn’t matter," Sam answers.

"You need them more than I do," Steve argues, because he is a stubborn asshole sometimes. It’s such a nice contrast to all of his positive traits, and Sam is reminded of his six-year-old self being horrified at the notion of putting salt in his mama’s batch of oatmeal cookies.

Now he understands it perfectly.

"Look, if you’re going to give me your blankets, you need to get your ass in this bed too," Sam says. "And then we can have six blankets instead of three. Don’t know about your army, but that’s how my unit used to keep warm on desert nights."

"Didn’t visit the desert, but otherwise sounds right." Steve doesn’t even hesitate before he makes his way over to Sam’s bed. Sam is quiet while Steve pulls the blankets around him, and Sam is surprised -pleasantly so - to feel Steve move even closer.

"Body heat?" Steve suggests, and Sam grins at him before sliding an arm around Steve.

There’s a momentary tenseness, and then Steve’s entire body relaxes and he scoots so close that they actually are touching. Sam is never going to curse the cold again, and if Loki wants to bring an entire army of Frost Giants to invade Earth, Sam is willing to fight them if it means he gets to have this.

"I never liked the cold," Steve tells him, and he tilts his head against Sam’s in what can only be taken as a movement of confession. Sam supposes that is the response of any kid who grew up poor; complaining about things that your parents couldn’t help seems like a betrayal once you’re old enough to understand all the things they sacrificed to give you what they could.

"Must have been rough on your six billion illnesses," Sam says, to tell him that it’s okay to complain. It’s not something Steve will listen to, but it’s enough that it keeps Steve talking.

"It was. Mama always used to … we’d drink hot water, sometimes, when we didn’t have anything else." Warm breath against Sam’s cheek as he continues. "She always said that if your feet were cold, your whole body would be cold. So she’d always heat up a brick, wrap it up, and put it at the foot of the bed. I kept that up after she died … until I moved in with Bucky."

"And then body heat replaced your brick?" Sam guesses, which isn’t really a far out guess, because if you are unaware that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes have done more than share a bed, you haven’t been paying attention to any history book ever. At Steve’s silent nod, Sam adds, "Lucky you; Riley’s feet were always little ice blocks."

"That’s what Bucky used to say about mine." Steve chuckles softly against Sam’s cheek. "You know, I think it’s one of the things that made my bed so uncomfortable. After years of sleeping with someone near by, sleeping all alone in the dark just felt wrong. Besides the softness, because it really did feel like marshmallow."

"But things are better now?" Sam asks quietly.

"Yeah," Steve answers, just as quiet. "Things are much better now."


End file.
